Arkansas followers descended upon Bud Walton Area in droves on Wednesday evening, although they weren’t there to look at a Razorback basketball recreation.
As an alternative, they had been there to formally welcome head coach John Calipari to the College of Arkansas and to look at the brand new Head Hog get to work.
After his aircraft landed in Fayetteville on Wednesday afternoon, Calipari stepped into Bud Walton Area as a good friend fairly than a foe for the primary time.
With zero gamers at the moment on the staff, Calipari can be tasked with constructing his first roster in Fayetteville from the bottom up.
“In the event you’re not into basketball, you will not come right here. In the event you’re ingesting, smoking, clubbing, chasing, you will not come right here,” Calipari stated when requested about expectations for his first Razorback roster. “That is about being at a spot that’s zeroed in on a tradition that creates skilled habits, and that features academically. We did not have any points at Kentucky. All of them completed the time period. You possibly can care concerning the youngsters and nonetheless win. What’s modified slightly bit is that the youngsters are all older,” he stated, noting adjustments within the faculty basketball panorama. “They’re giving a bunch of waivers, and the youngsters make extra from NIL than they’d getting a job.”
Calipari’s closing assertion was fairly by-the-book however nonetheless provides Arkansas followers purpose to be optimistic concerning the Corridor of Fame coach’s tenure in Fayetteville.
“I am wanting ahead to this, I am excited. The followers appear to be excited. Let me get a staff collectively, then we’ll all be excited.”
Regardless of the opening tip-off of Arkansas’ 2024-25 season not being till November, the excitement and pleasure across the basketball program is sky-high.
